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Trump Anxiety Cancels Florida Expo. Is It a Blip or a Harbinger?

The uncertainty of today’s political climate is creating a friendly disagreement among cannabis entrepreneurs. There seem to be two camps emerging: those who prefer to exercise caution and wait to see how the Trump administration acts, and those who are calling for an immediate full court press.

The dynamics played out recently in Nevada and Florida, two newly legalized states.

“We had a lot of interest, but there were concerns.”

AJ Obando, conference organizer

On November 8, Floridians approved a statewide constitutional amendment with 71.3 percent of the vote – that’s 6.5 million votes. Neither President-elect Trump nor Florida State Senator Marco Rubio received that many votes, according to Florida for Care’s analysis.

The message from Floridians was clear: They like medical marijuana more than their own politicians. The approval of Amendment 2 has entrepreneurs from every corner of America flocking to Florida.

To capitalize on that interest, the Colorado-based cannabis consulting firm Strainwise planned to host an “ask the experts” cannabis conference in Florida this month.

But they found that excitement about Florida was tempered by the “overwhelming sense of uncertainty in America,” which is a tactful way of saying anxiety about the Trump administration’s cannabis policy. In the end, Strainwise had to cancel the event. Too many would-be ticket buyers were in the “wait and see” camp.

Meanwhile, the previous month in Nevada, the annual MJ Biz Conference attracted a sold-out crowd of 10,000 cannabis entrepreneurs, investors, and wannabe industry members. Of course, MJ Biz happened just before Trump named Jeff Sessions as his choice for Attorney General.

In their cancellation notice for the Florida conference, Strainwise officials wrote:

“Our government affairs officials are currently working to ascertain the direction of the incoming administration and once we have a clearer understanding, we will be further exploring future conference events in Florida and around the United States.”

In a phone interview, Strainwise Marketing and Branding Director AJ Obando told Leafly that the event “had a lot of interest, but there were concerns.”

“It was our main focus for months,” Obando lamented; “we are sad to see it go this way.” Ultimately Strainwise offered a webinar titled “The Future of the Cannabis Industry,” held online. Streaming online, Strainwise Vice President of Business Development Sean Eubanks urged listeners to relax and take a less aggressive approach.

“It’s a time to be quiet and work on our businesses,” Eubanks said during the webinar. There was also talk of ‘unfounded media hysteria’ on the Trump administration’s policies on legalization.

Are Other States as Skittish?

It’s a mixed bag. Leslie Bocskor, founder and president of Electrum Partners, is a Nevada-based expert cannabis consultant and investor.

“Those who wait and see will be left behind.”

Leslie Bocskor, Electrum Partners

Bocskor thinks the time to act is now.

“Those who wait and see will be left behind,” Bocskor told Leafly. He sees today’s uncertainty as a call to action. “This is the time to push forward with even more strength, commitment and diligence.”

Kris Krane, president of 4Front Ventures, a leader in cannabis application consulting, agrees that it’s good to worry – but he thinks the “wait and see” approach is dangerous.

Everyone who’s jumped into the cannabis space in the last four years—since Colorado and Washington state legalized—only know the relatively good times under President Obama.

Leaders of groups like the Drug Policy Alliance, who have much longer memories, are pointing out that Trump’s appointees are longtime drug warriors. But that’s not alarmist, said Krane. It’s realistic. Trump will likely have cabinet members advocating for a crackdown. “If we aren’t pushing for our businesses, we do so at our own peril,” Krane said.

Pushing against that viewpoint are Republicans like California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. He’s in Trump’s ear and he’s on legalization’s side, said Krane. There’s also PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel. Thiel is a hedge fund manager, venture capitalist, and philanthropist who has invested millions in cannabis companies such as Privateer Holdings (Leafly’s parent company) through his Founders Fund.

Those pro-legalization guys are also members of Trump’s inner circle.

“We have a window of opportunity to pressure the administration to respect states’ rights.”

Kris Krane, 4Front Ventures

“I’m worried about folks saying everything will be just fine, not to worry – that’s more worrisome because it breeds complacency,” added Krane. “We have a window of opportunity before the inauguration and Sessions’ confirmation, to use our tools to pressure the administration to respect states’ rights.”

The Strainwise “Future of Cannabis” webinar advised cannabis entrepreneurs to take a reasonable, calm approach, and focus on working with advocacy and state governments to build a framework that will be difficult for the federal government to reverse.

Their self-described “less aggressive approach” is one way to navigate the current environment. Kris Krane said that it’s beneficial to build an industry with best business practices.

Krane isn’t overly alarmed at the cancelled conference in Florida. But he said it’s time for pro-legalization friends of Trump to speak up. “There have been many cannabis conferences over the past four years,” he said. “MJBiz just had ten thousand people at their Las Vegas conference right after the election.”

“I’m not in favor of over alarmist rhetoric,” he said. “If the Trump administration sees us as adversarial they will be more likely to crack down on us.”

The other side, the ‘go get ‘em’ camp, sees it differently.

“Get in or go home,” said Bocskor.

“We now will discover who the advocates and entrepreneurs are that have the knowledge, experience, and vision to both understand where we are and, more importantly, shape where we are going,” Bocskor added.

Chloe Sommers is an award-winning journalist who reports on drug policy, medical marijuana, and the cannabis industry. Based in Washington, D.C., Sommers is a senior writer for The Marijuana Times and regularly contributes to Leafly, The Weed Blog, and Ganjapreneur.

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It makes more tactical sense to wait and see what they’ll do rather than publicly confronting them and risk provoking to action from the challenge. Any proactive pro-cannabis actions aren’t going to change what they’ll try and do anyway.

They’ll have their hands full pursuing other stuff on their agenda (plenty to fight there too) and any government change still moves fairly slowly so, there would be plenty of time to react quickly. Definitely time to challenge the DEA CBD “decision” though.

lovingc

When Maricopa County attorney Bill Montgomery tried to argue that federal law trumps Arizona’s duly approved Medical Marijuana Act, he was told by Judge Donn Kessler that his claims had no legal basis.
Push forward there are more of us than them and the law is on our side for once.

Stephen Buckley

Hmmmmmmm……. Me thinks your liberal brainwashing has caused you to forget your Marijuana Savior Obama did shit for you. Florida supported medical cannabis to the tune of 72% most of which use weed now. Since when have you seen Trump oppose what the majority wants….. Calm down, take a deep breath and turn off MSNBC.

Tim

I can’t believe this story. Then again you see it over and over.
They don’t sign up sponsors or attendees for their show, so now it’s Trumps fault. Take some responsibility, maybe people didn’t see value in what you were selling?

Karma911

I tend to agree with your statement. It sounds to me as if this is all premature speculation on what is going to happen. I would say push forward until there is a bump. Then, deal with it.

CBD HEMPINDICA

Hempindica.net

Russ Bracco

Why are u even on this site?? This is a pro Cannabis conference! If tha government had any brains at all they would see the total value in the industry. You want jobs?!?! This is potentially a BILLION DOLLAR business. It could create 10s of thousands of jobs. There are littery hundreds of products that can be produced from cannabis. Flower, rope, clothing, building products, paper, medical………..I could go on and on but you get the idea!!
It’s this hippocratic government that can’t see the forest for the trees that’s the problem. With this new administration they could set the cannabis industry back 20 years!
BUT HEED MY WORDS. IT’S NOT GOING AWAY, SO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK!!

Tim

I am on the site because I’m in the business. It may have been a pro cannabis conference but they threw in the towel.

Russ Bracco

Tim, I would also love to be in the business! I have been an advocate of leagleizing cannabis for 40 years.( ever since the Vietnam era)
But unfortunately the feds still want to hold that big hammer over our heads. As long as there is a threat from the feds people will be reluctant to invest for fear that they will lose there $$.

MoonBam

So AGREE!!!!!!! Yes! Similar to a little town I grew up in, stayed “dry”(ETOH) for “ump-teen” years, since 1800’s re: alcohol, eyes wide shut thinking of the money it could bring to our town. So many churches, religious leaders( I am a born again Christian that believes Jesus died for us on that cross to put it simply) unlike the dogma and rituals with religion, I am not religious. Big Difference. Now my state of Alabama may never see MJ even medical, legalized for sick ppl. I have MS as well. So our lil’ town goes wet for alcohol sales and the businesses pour in, $$$$$ pouring in and it still is a wonderful lil’ town! Again, imagine the money, jobs and that domino effect for us all!. Thanks Russ.

James Manegold

This isn’t a matter of “Trump’s fault”. It’s a matter of fact,that the overall religious right’s conservative, fear mongering cabinet and advisor picks that are of the belief that cannabis will harm the goal of individual growth in this, not really so, free society.There are Rx drugs that are killing hundreds of thousands, in an unbridled, capitalistic society,that only sees profit as the only goal, whereas, cannabis is in fact a medicine, not just a recreational drug. It’s no secret that ingesting alcohol has no medicinal value,and has been the causative agent in many deaths.The value in what is being sold, is a positive one, unlike alcohol, and many Rx drugs, that promise big profits, but disregard the detriments, such as inefficacy, and deleterious side effects, and disproportional costs that translate into excessive profits, that burden the average citizens, who end up paying for the negligence, and indifferent corporate giants in the alcohol and pharmaceutical businesses.

ro

Federal Excise Tax is going to eat up investing dollars in marijuana legalization of it. Just like it does on alcohol, cigarettes, and gas. Even companies in Colorado the marijuana investors are not getting any return on the dollar. I have figured to not invest because all I have has lost 50% Symbol OTC-CNAB OTC- NMUS and Strainwise in Colorado OTC- STWC stock since 2014 is in the negative $’s as far as investor dollars go. Check them out on yahoo finance symbols or any other finance section on the web.

lovingc

Too early for stocks, or are you just afraid of Trump.

Russ Bracco

No reason to fear Trump………he’s clueless, only cares about making money and his empire.
It’s the assholes he has surrounded himself with you need to fear. A bunch of old cronies who are stuck in the 1930s. Hypocrites who would more likely drink themselves to death because they’re uneducated and ignorant.There is no clear way for them to rape this industry yet but as soon as they figure that out and work it all out with big Pharma it will be leagle.

Why worry about it, the people have overwhelmingly voted for it!, not just FL, but the other states one by one.

Mark

This is what you get when you elect a loose canon it said med mj ok recreational bad
Put in a anti pot attorney general
That says good people don’t smoke pot.
What can you expect
This is what a demagogue does